


A Gift of Hope

by Sphinx_of_Black_Quartz



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Cloud Strife Needs a Hug, Gen, I tried to end happy tho, Some angst, gift-fic, its therapy time boys, playing in aimeelouwrites seventh circle ninth sphere verse, this just in: Sphinx can’t write fight scenes, wings wooooo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26687917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sphinx_of_Black_Quartz/pseuds/Sphinx_of_Black_Quartz
Summary: Gifts come in many forms. Sometimes the best ones are accidental.
Relationships: Angeal Hewley & Cloud Strife
Comments: 15
Kudos: 76





	A Gift of Hope

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AimeeLouWrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AimeeLouWrites/gifts).



> I wrote this based on AimeeLouWrites Divine Comedy series, so read that first if you want to know what’s going on. Other than that, I hope it’s not trash, but I was crammed in a car with six people for 12 hours over this weekend so I wrote this to Cope. 
> 
> Aimee, thank you for your work.

Mastering one’s thoughts was a skill that took years to develop.

And yet, Cloud had to learn as soon as he could. To be able to block out certain thoughts while bringing others to the forefront as if they were never there in the first place. To squash every emotion into a steel holding box until it was safe to release them. 

Anyone who had a demon in their head would. 

It had taken hours, days and months of concentration and practice before he could successfully deter Sephiroth from reaching in and plucking out whatever he wished, or shoving something entirely unwanted inside. 

He couldn’t stop it. Not completely, but he could make it hard enough that Sephiroth only bothered when he was being particularly tormenting, such as during their ‘sparring matches’ or when he wanted to remind Cloud of his total helplessness. 

While he was able to keep coherent thought where it was supposed to be, emotion bled through much more easily, so that was what Sephiroth used to keep him in line. 

Feeling too hopeful, or on the other end, too depressed? Sephiroth would tear down his barriers and root around in his head until he was satisfied that Cloud wasn’t going to attempt anything that might set him free. 

Physical proximity made a difference, however. The closer Sephiroth was to Cloud, the easier it was for the former to get through the barriers. Far enough away, and Cloud was able to shove Sephiroth almost all the way out and have his own head to himself.

That was what made today a choice one for gift shopping. All the Firsts had been sent off for some stupid PR stunt in Junon for the day, and Zack was getting up to some mischief with someone named Kunsel (they had invited Cloud along as well, but for whatever reason Cloud had decided that filling the entire Turk floor with origami camels and shaving cream was likely to end in disaster) which was good, Zack deserved friends that wouldn’t get him killed by interacting with them.

While he normally had very little interest in shopping, the friends who had sacrificed so much for him deserved something in return, the best he could find. 

For Angeal, he’d gotten him gift cards to both his favorite restaurant and that fancy massage place that he was always talking about going to in order to ‘calm his nerves from keeping an eye on not one, but two rascals’. He’d also gotten a free bottle of spiced Banora White cider by saving the vendor from a mutated blob of what might have been hedgehog pies in a past life. 

For Zack, he’d gotten a six months worth supply of those weird candies he liked. The ones that weren’t even candy, but were burn-your-entire-digestive-tract spicy dipped in white chocolate and covered in sprinkles. He also got Zack a vacation pass to Gongaga from a travel agency that kept giving him weird looks and asking him where his parents were. 

“No,” he’d said. “It’s just me. I’d like to pick up your best vacation pass to the Western Continent? Oh, and money isn’t an issue.” And they’d just stared at him. It was a bit offensive, he wasn’t even dressed in uniform! He’d worn that chocobo t-shirt that Zack had given him along with the dress pants Genesis was always trying to get him to wear. And sunglasses of course, to cover his freaky eyes. 

And to go further to not be recognized, he’d used an entire jar of hair gel to slick his hair back (it protested vehemently and still stuck up a bit in places) it was an amazing disguise! It took a while but he’d gotten what he wanted in the end. 

Last was Genesis. He couldn’t just get him Loveless tickets, because of the loud complaining criticism he’d given about this season’s version. “They’ve ruined the whole purpose of the play!” He’d shouted while flopped dramatically across Angeal’s couch. 

So that made things a bit more complicated. 

He’d ended up in an antique shop below plate somehow, having managed to score a brand new dragon hide coat, in a deep maroon with silver buckles. But, in case the First didn’t like it, he was searching for old poetry and philosophy books. 

Putting the book on existential nihilism down, he made his way to the exit, because obviously this shop didn’t have what he was looking for. 

While dodging past the many, many piles of old furniture and knickknacks, he overheard a man talking on the phone. “It’s perfect, honey! An old traditional cradle will hold up so much better for our Denzel than that mass produced plastic one!” And just like that, memories and regrets bubbled up in Cloud’s chest, suffocating and painful. 

Eyes burning, backpack of gifts heavy on his back, he burst out of the shop, blindly running, not caring where he was going, other than away. 

Why? Why did he have to lose and lose and lose everything? His memory, his family... his very body and heart? Even now, with new friends, Sephiroth always made sure he knew it was only a matter of time til he lost them too. 

But Cloud wasn’t allowed to want, to hope. He was a man from another time, a child stolen by a demon. All he could do was hurt and bleed in place of those he wasn’t allowed to love.

When he comes back to himself, mentally shoving and slapping away the inquisition of the thread of darkness inside his mind, he’s in the flowerbed of a very familiar abandoned church.

And that’s about all he can take. Collapsing to his knees in the flowers he wails and sobs. “I’m sorry!” He cries. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him, that he’s hurt so many!” 

Cloud rains like his namesake for all the pain he’d both caused and in turn given, in both lives. He cries for a life he could never have back, and for people who he couldn’t protect. He cries for the memory Zack has of Sephiroth, an honorable if a bit awkward man who was hurt and betrayed too. He cries for what’s happening to the planet, the danger of the seed of calamity that is housed in this Sephiroth, and the wounds that the mako reactors rip, and never let heal. 

He cries so hard his chest hurts and his head aches, he’d lost his sunglasses at some point. Eyes puffy and aching, he lays down in the flowers, spent. Closing his eyes, he resolves to stay here, for just a bit, and then continue his gift search once his face isn’t blotchy and red.  
————

Covered by stems and petals, unknown to the sleeping twelve(?) year old, a pure white orb of magic begins to glow, with veins of green beginning to shine through, a prayer accepted. Perhaps, tied up in a hair ribbon is not the most secure place to keep materia.

—————-

Cloud is jolted awake when the probing darkness announces Sephiroth is back, and has found him.

“I never thought you’d come to this place, Stormcloud, for fear I’d follow,” the demon almost purrs. 

“Get out of here. I’ll be back after I finish up the business I have down here,” Cloud snarls, sitting up. 

“Oh, but it is quite late out. All your precious friends are out looking for you. Did you not notice it getting dark out?” 

And it is, unfortunately. The sun had already set, with its few bits of light already beginning to go out. 

“Fine,” He grinds out, “I’ll head back. But not with you.” 

The demon strides forward, “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of leaving you here alone! Allow me to-“ 

He’s cut off as a pulse of pure white energy explodes out of the flowers, moving like a shockwave in all directions. Cloud jumps back in surprise, and notices a familiar orb of materia nestled in the flowers. It pulses again, and again, and with every wave, the darkness in his mind that has been there since he woke up in this time, starts receding. 

“NO!” Sephiroth borderline shrieks as the connection snaps. With every pulse, Cloud can feel the pervading presence of something other fade away, and strangely enough, he can’t hold his wings back anymore. 

They snap out at the same time Sephiroth’s single wing also materializes. And with that, the glow of Holy fades. 

Eyes wide and gaping like a fish, “What have you done?!” Sephiroth gasps out. 

“I didn’t do anything!” But somehow, some way, he had been freed, by Holy itself. His mind is his own again. 

“HOW DARE YOU!” With the shock faded, Sephiroth responds in anger. Masamune drawn, he charges for Cloud. 

—————-

Sephiroth fights like a madman, which is uncharacteristic of the man who could calmly butcher entire legions, and was known for a sharp and level head.

But something had snapped, along with whatever had bound them together. However, he was just as deadly, if not more so, uncaring of any injury. 

Cloud is almost unable to fend him off, his standard issue broadsword creaking under the pressure. It can’t take much more of this. 

With one heavy strike, the blade breaks, and Cloud is sent flying back into the flowers, scattering petals everywhere. He clutches the hilt of his jagged, broken sword as Sephiroth stalks towards him. 

“You’re supposed to be mine! My Perfect Storm, my right hand to reign over the planet!” 

He looms over Cloud, slitted eyes glowing in the darkness, wing out and menacing. “If I can’t have you, no one can!” He lunges, but so does Cloud. While Masamune is buried to the hilt in Cloud’s chest, he’d managed to stab his broken broadsword up under Sephiroth’s rib cage. 

Cloud manages to twist, and wrench it out, and Sephiroth chokes, and loses his grip on Masamune. He collapses with a gurgle. Cloud can’t hear his heartbeat anymore.

Unable to move much with a seven foot katana protruding from his body, Cloud very carefully, very painfully managed to pull his phone out of his pocket. 

He knows it’s selfish, but he also knows he’s dying, and while he can accept that, he just wants the people who sacrificed so much for him to know he loves them. 

He dials, then sets it to speaker and flops onto his side. His stupid wings still won’t go away. It’s like whatever let them slide in and out of reality is gone.

“Cloud?! Where are you?! Are you alright?!” Angeal’s panicked voice plays through the speaker.

“....’Ey.... ‘Geal.....”

“Cloud are you hurt?!”

“...just...a bit...” he coughs. “Seph...sephiroth got... got me good. But ....’s all good.... I got him...back....” 

“Sephiroth hurt you? What did he do? Tell me. Now.”

“Mmm... stuck me...with his stupid... toothpick of a sword....”

“He _what?!_ ” 

“Yea.... so s’ a bit bad....”

“Tell me where you are!” 

“You....won’t make it....s’okay though....caused enough trouble....” suddenly he has a thought, what about the gifts he was planning to give them? “....but you should come anyway.....got presents....for everyone....shouldn’t just sit here...”

“You can tell me about all that after I know where you are!”

“‘S an ol’ church.... in the sec-“ he wheezes a bit. “Sector..f-five slums...” 

“Where in the slums?! You need to be more specific!”

“....c’n see the... the sky.......’s nice...” he gives a pained, breathless laugh. “I did it...y’know? I beat him....” 

Angeal says something else but everything is all fuzzy. 

“Mmm...love...you ‘Geal.... ‘n the others too.... you’ll tell them?”

He doesn’t hear if his friend (brother...father?) says yes. 

———————-

He slowly drifts, warmth and voices calling above him, with pain everywhere else. 

‘Shhh, it’s alright, you’ll be alright’ someone croons to him, hand stroking his hair. Something soft and hot is pressed into his hands. The something bursts, and suddenly healing energy floods his whole body. Oh. He recognizes that form of magic. Phoenix down. 

He cracks open his eyes, barely, too tired to do more. He’s looking up at Angeal, who has him cradled close, head in his lap, wings spilling everywhere. Genesis is looking over his wounds. He can’t see Zack, but he can vaguely hear his voice, asking something. 

“It’s okay, love. Rest. We’ll take care of the you.” 

He trusts them,  
so he closes his eyes and floats away.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a bit of a note, Cloud can’t dismiss his wings because Holy purified all the J-cells. In my mind, it’s the shapeshifter mutation abilities that let him call and dismiss it. Had to have some consequences. 
> 
> Hope you liked, and if you didn’t tell me how to be better.


End file.
